How Deutsche & 3M Solventum Deliver Leading Deaeration Solutions

So I guess to kick it off, if you want to tell me a little bit about yourself and a little bit about what you’ve done with the company, and a little bit about the technology.

My name is Joel Cardona. I have been with the Liqui-Cel product line for 18 years. Not only in manufacturing, but also in technical sales. Over the last 10 years I’ve been working as an Applications Engineer in our laboratories and in the field.

Obviously, you’ve got a really strong background with this product. How would you explain what Liqui-Cel is?

Liqui-Cel is essentially a membrane contactor. The idea is to bring two phases together that are immiscible, but bring them into contact with each other without actually mixing. The main purpose of Liqui-Cel is to control dissolved gases within a liquid. Whether that is to introduce gases into the liquid or to remove gases from the liquid, that is the core function of a Liqui-Cel membrane contactor.

That makes good sense. How long has Liqui-Cel been producing these contactors?

Liqui-Cel has a history of nearly four decades producing membrane contactors for debubbling applications or very specific degassing control.

And you guys are located in the United States, but I assume you sell globally. They’re produced all over the world as well?

Our products are produced in two primary locations: Charlotte, North Carolina, which is one of our production plants, and Wurtha, Germany, where we also have a production plant.

I think it probably makes sense to explain why we’re both sitting here together. Liqui-Cel manufactures the membrane contactors. We build stainless liquid processing equipment. We take their products and build skid-based systems that house the contactors and add the valving, piping, instrumentation, and anything else needed to allow the product to work seamlessly in multiple applications.

You guys have been manufacturing this product for four decades. Why did you choose to work with companies like Deutsche?

Integrators like Deutsche Beverage are a fundamental part of our business ecosystem. We provide the best membrane contactor in the market, but it has to be integrated into a full solution for the customer. System integrators have the know-how to build the entire package solution for the customer.

That makes sense. We actually have one on the floor. As soon as we finish this conversation, we’ll walk through what the technology looks like when it’s put into the skid, identify the main components that make it work, and talk about how this one specifically removes dissolved oxygen. Obviously the same technology can function in different ways, such as putting gases back in or removing other gases.

So how does this work? Why do we call it simple?

The most direct comparison in the beverage industry would be a deaeration tower. With a Liqui-Cel membrane contactor, as the liquid phase flows into the device, it comes into contact with a membrane bundle composed of thousands of hollow fibers. These fibers serve as the interface between the liquid phase and the gas phase. The membrane is hydrophobic in nature, so it doesn’t allow the bulk liquid to pass through. On the inside of the hollow fibers, you can modulate the gas pressure, creating a partial pressure differential—a favorable environment—which allows gases in solution to either come out or be introduced.

So basically, it’s a cylindrical object made up of hollow fibers. We’re passing liquid through one direction almost like a shell-and-tube heat exchanger. The liquid would be on the shell side, and the gas side would be inside the hollow fibers. Those would flow countercurrent, correct?

Yes, countercurrent flow.

And when you set up the environment, that allows you to physically pull the gas out or introduce it into the liquid.

That is correct.

Where is this applicable?

Any industry that requires dissolved gas control. For example, deionizing water, removing dissolved oxygen for longer shelf life, or preventing corrosion in the power industry. Microelectronics is a big customer, beverage is another, and the power and steam industry where oxygen is problematic. Even industries like printing use it, because bubbles in ink can cause defects.

And in beverages?

The primary application is deoxygenation of push water or blending water, whether for brewing or for wine production. Another is introducing CO₂ into wines for sparkling wine. More recently, there’s been growing use in dealcoholization, where the contactor can be used to remove alcohol in a way similar to osmotic distillation.

Can you run finished product through the membrane, or just water?

It depends on the application. For adding CO₂ to wine, you can flow the wine itself through the contactor. The membranes are polypropylene, so they’re food safe with no leachables. For push water or blending water, you would deoxygenate it before fermentation. In many beverage processes, water is deoxygenated up front, and then blended with concentrate at the filler.

What are the features and benefits of using this?

The primary advantage is size. You can achieve deaeration in an extremely compact footprint. Liqui-Cel contactors also operate at pressure, so no additional repressurization pumps are needed, unlike towers. The process is inline, easy to run, and requires very little operator interaction once it’s set up. With no moving parts, maintenance is minimal aside from cleaning.

Performance is predictable as well. We use software called GasCad, developed over 25 years, which predicts gas concentrations, vacuum pump sizing, and pressure drops. That data is based on lab testing in Charlotte and gives customers accurate design expectations.

How long do the membranes last, and what costs are involved?

Typically three to five years, depending on water quality. With good prefiltration, they can last longer—sometimes over five years. Prefiltration is essential to avoid fouling or particulate contamination. High Flow filters are the preferred prefiltration option in many beverage applications.

So filter up front, keep the membranes clean, run cleaning processes as needed, and they’ll last three-plus years.

Exactly.

What technologies does this replace?

Primarily vacuum towers or deaeration towers. The membrane’s surface area-to-volume ratio is about 10x higher, making it much smaller. Additional pumps aren’t needed. In other industries, it can reduce chemical costs by replacing oxygen scavengers or ion exchange beds. In carbonation, it offers more precise control than stones, ensuring consistency—especially valued in the wine industry.

That makes sense. With carb stones you often need a hold tank to equalize, but membranes provide precise, consistent inline control.

Correct.

So let’s take a look at the system on the floor. These contactors are compact—this one uses 8×20 membranes (8 inches in diameter by 20 inches long). We make sizes as small as 2.5×8 inches and as large as 14×40. They’re modular, so multiple contactors can be added in parallel for larger flow rates.

For food and beverage, the housings are stainless steel. For industrial applications, we use PVC. For high-purity microelectronics, we use fiber-reinforced plastics.

In this skid, the process works as follows: water is filtered first, then flows into the first contactor, through the second contactor in series, and out with the dissolved oxygen removed. Gas is fed into the contactors in parallel through ports at the top, and a vacuum pump on the backside creates the favorable environment to pull oxygen out of the water into the gas stream. To operate, you simply turn on the vacuum pump and open the water and gas valves.

In beverage applications, where colder liquids are common, you can add more contactors in series if needed to reach single-digit parts per billion oxygen levels. This particular rental unit is designed for 10–40 gallons per minute, targeting single-digit ppb levels. Systems can range from 10–15 gpm up to 500 gpm.

Compared to towers, membrane technology can achieve the same low oxygen levels with less vacuum demand and lower utility costs. In practice, it’s been run down to one to two ppb.

We appreciate you taking the time to walk through this. I’m Monty with Deutsche Beverage and Process, and this is Joel Cardona with 3M Liqui-Cel. Together, we integrate Liqui-Cel membrane technology into complete stainless solutions for customers worldwide.